The President of Keystone Agricultural Producers says agriculture is clearly being considered as the Manitoba Government moves forward with its plan for reducing greenhouse emissions.
Last week the Manitoba government introduced legislation designed to implement its “Made in Manitoba Climate and Green Plan.”
Dan Mazier, the President of Keystone Agricultural Producers, says the plan is comprehensive and he encourages stakeholders to search out information on the green plan to get an idea of what the government is trying to accomplish.
When you look at that plan and you look at how integrated agriculture is in every one of those goals or every one of those pillars it is quite remarkable. I think the province at the government level understands that they’re going to need agriculture to help out in the reduction of greenhouse gases. I think this is what it’s setting up, especially when we start talking about the ability to be able to trade and get carbon credits versus paying into a carbon pricing system. It’s going to be quite interesting to see how it goes.
The province has always told us that they view agriculture as part of the solution. I think this framework, and I say I think because every announcement adds a different layer of complexity onto it. But we’re seeing definitely agriculture is being consulted or being included in part of the solution every time some announcement comes out, which is good. It’s better than being locked out and them deciding to do something and let the chips fall where they may lie.
~ Dan Mazier, Keystone Agricultural Producers
Mazier observes, while the province will be moving forward with a 25 dollar per tonne carbon price on gas diesel, propane and natural gas, agricultural producers will receive exceptions on marked fuels used on the farm but there is still no commitment for exemptions on fuels used for heating agricultural buildings or for grain drying.
